Field observations

January 22, 2021

GrainTALK Farmers Forum: Corn rootworm resistance

Monday, February 8     7 p.m.
Grain Farmers of Ontario is hosting a GrainTALK Farmers Forum on corn rootworm resistance. The event speakers are being finalized, but will include entomologists, crop advisors, and experienced farmers. The topics covered will revolve around corn rootworm resistance, management, and mitigation, livestock feed options, and a U.S. farmer perspective. After a short main presentation there will be breakout rooms available for further group discussion on the insect, research, feed options, and farmer perspectives. The breakout room options will allow farmers to ask the questions that they have and get current, up-to-date answers for the 2021 growing season.

The meeting will be on Zoom.  Sign up here. •

Grain Farming Apps

Did you know that Grain Farmers of Ontario has designed and/or helped develop nine apps for your smartphone? You can find and download them here. •

Ontario Soil Network

The Ontario Soil Network is looking for applicants for their Network Challenge. A one-year challenge to improve your communication and leadership skills, grow your network, and build your soil.

As a participant in the Network Challenge, you will receive a range of skills training to match to your goals and host events, participate in advertisement campaigns, speak at agricultural events, conduct research, and much more!

Apply here.

Grain Farmers of Ontario is a proud supporter of the Ontario Soil Network.

Quick bites from conferences this month

• Farmers and agronomists have learned about many topics at conferences this month, including, temperature inversions, pesticide safety, herbicide carryover, soil compaction, and cover crops.
• Consider all the different ways that you can be exposed to pesticides. Always pay attention to what protection do you need according to the label? Yes, you need to wear gloves, but what kind of gloves- pay attention. Mixing, loading, spraying, and re-entry are all areas that you can be exposed.
• Once you compromise soil structure you compromise the plant’s ability for root growth and nutrient uptake. Soil compaction is more prevalent now than it has been historically- mostly due to increasing machinery weights. Pay attention to wheel load and axle loads. It takes decades to fix soil compaction, seconds to create it. Thought for the day. If we are to feed nine billion people by 2050, how will compaction affect our ability to do this?
• Plan your crop rotations four years ahead to limit herbicide carryover as much as possible. Vegetable crops are more prone to carryover injury but can still see some in grain crops.
• Tarspot is in Ontario. Currently there is not a lot of overwintering potential in Ontario fields. Although we need to consider it an established disease. Next season a combination of overwintering and inoculum moving in will be the source of disease. Chances are there will be a low incidence and severity in fields that haven’t had tar spot in Ontario. Knowing what we have learned so far in the states, it will keep spreading in an outward fashion.
• The more active ingredients that you have in a tank mix, the trickier it is to choose nozzles to limit drift.
• Go from compacted soil to something that has more structure, more pore space, with larger and smaller pores. Use less tillage, incorporate cover crops, and leave residues behind are some suggestions to reduce compaction.
• Look at the tillage equipment that you are using. How flexible can it be? Can different parts be changed out to so it can be more efficient or used at different times of the year?